And how can they preach unless they are sent? (Rom. 10:15)
MY WIFE, ROXENE, has always been mission minded. As a young girl she felt called to be a missionary in Africa, serving in a part of the world that God loves dearly and deeply. However, when we were first married, I felt no call to missions. I was comfortable in the church I was pastoring, and things were going well
Thus, when Roxene suggested that we have a mission convention, I was less than excited. I did not want a missionary coming to make a pitch for donations because I wanted all the extra funds to go toward a building project that we were entering into. However, Roxene’s persistence caused me to give.
The missionary who came, Leonard Leitzel, served in South America. His stories captured my attention. His photos of long, thick snakes fascinated me. His preaching about the Great Commission stirred my heart. He shared that Christians are to “go” into the world.
At the end of his talk, he asked, “Is anyone here willing to leave his or her comforts to be a witness for God in a world that desperately needs to hear the good news of salvation? How can the lost in Latin America, or Africa, or any other place be reached if we are not willing to go to them?” That night I responded to the call to go.
If God calls you to serve in a new way, follow His leading.
Jim “Umf” Lo is a professor at Indiana Wesleyan University, cross-cultural leader, intercessor, and author of several books including Unholiness: Overcoming the Forces That Attack Your Soul (WPH).
© 2018 Wesleyan Publishing House. Reprinted from Light from the Word. Used by permission.
